DC Comics is looking at making huge changes to the cornerstones of its universe, and that will turn these minor keys into major keys overnight.

The big rumor coming out of New York Comic Con is that DC is set to go full Marvel on its readers and put new faces in old costumes. According to Bleedingcoolnews, the word is that many of its A-list heroes will be replaced by younger, hipper versions.

Among others, including Wonder Woman, Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne are being replaced. Let's face it, we see this sort of thing on a regular basis, so it's not exactly an earth-shattering development. How many times have we experienced this over the years? Bruce Wayne has ceded his cape and cowl to Azrael and Dick Grayson, Steve Rogers has handed over his star-spangled spandex on numerous occasions, Jane Foster wielded Mjolnir for a time, X-23 took over as the All-New, All-Different Wolverine, and so on. Still, it's always good for shock value, and it never fails to sell comics, at least initially.

That being said, here are the issues you'll want to grab before the big event takes place.

CONVERGENCE: SUPERMAN #2

In a convoluted, inter-dimensional backstory that only DC could deliver, Superman and Lois Lane had a son, Jonathan Samuel Kent. In Convergence: Superman #2, readers were given Jonathan's first appearance, albeit as a newborn baby. It wasn't until Superman: Lois and Clark #1 that he appeared as an adolescent boy, and in Superman #6, he was given the title of Superboy.

According to the rumor, Jonathan will undergo comic-science and be aged into adulthood after returning from the 31st Century where he's been fighting evil with the Legion of Super-Heroes. From there, he will take over as the Earth One Superman in the DCU continuity.

Prices for Convergence: Superman #2 has already been in the triple figures, but they're about to jump even higher. Although there have only been two sales this year, they reached $200 in January and $115 in July, respectively.

BATWING #19

While we haven't seen anyone outside of Clark Kent truly take up the mantle of Superman in the Earth One continuity, others have inherited the cape and cowl. I mentioned Azrael and Dick Grayson earlier, but the rumor of the newest Caped Crusader echoes Batman Beyond.

The story is that Luke Fox, current Batwing and son of established minor character Lucius Fox, will take over as Batman while Bruce will play the role of mentor and teacher behind the scenes. That sounds an awful lot like the plot of Batman Beyond.

Luke Fox made his first appearance in Batwing #19 and transcended into Batwing in Batwing #20. Both issues are fairly cheap for the moment because they've flown under the radar for so long. According to the CGC census data, there is only one graded Batwing #19, and it is part of the signature series. There's also only one Batwing #20 on the CGC census.

Prices for both those issues are steadily climbing, particularly Batwing #19, which is averaging between $50-$60 for raw copies on eBay. This comic is set to explode, so don't wait too long to pick up your copy.

WE ALL KNOW WHERE THIS IS GOING

It's always fun and exciting to put a new character in a classic role and watch the sparks fly, and it sells comics. This is a time-honored trick in the comics publishing world, and it works as well as adding a new character. As a reader, I'll give it a try. But we all know that eventually Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and anyone else getting a makeover will see the return of the classic versions of those characters. But maybe it will be a fun read while the mainstays take a breather.

 

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